India will take on nemesis Pakistan on September 14 in its last group stage match of the Asian Champions Trophy at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir, China
While India, led by ace drag flicker Harmanpreet Singh, will go into the match as table toppers, Ammad Butt-led Pakistan will take on India as the second placed team in the points table.
The defending champions have played the tournament as favourites, clinching each match. India defeated hosts China 3-0 in the first match, beat Japan 5-1 in the second, trounced Malaysia 8-1 in the third match and clinched a 3-1 win against Korea in the previous match.
India was the first team in the tournament to book a place in the semifinal.
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Pakistan, on the other hand, has been resilient in this campaign. Playing under the watchful guidance of hockey legend Tahir Zaman. The team drew 2-2 against Malaysia and Korea, beat Japan 2-1 and China 5-1 to climb up to the second spot in the points table.
Indian captain Harmanpreet said, “I have been playing with some of the players in the Pakistan team since my junior days and we share a special bond with them. They are like my brothers. Of-course, on the field, we will go about the match like we would against any other opponent and make sure we keep our emotions in check.”
“In world hockey, the rivalry the two teams share is unparalleled and I am sure fans across the globe will be waiting for an India-Pakistan match,” added Harmanpreet.
Pakistan’s skipper Ammad said, “India has undeniably played like true favourites in the tournament so far. We will take heart from the matches we have played, and I must say, we have improved in every single game, not conceded cards and have played disciplined hockey. We look forward to doing the same against India tomorrow.”
“The previous few games, we have defended very well against our opponents and against India too, we would want to defend well particularly in PC defence,” he added.
In the recent past, India has outclassed Pakistan quite convincingly. At the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, India beat Pakistan 10-2 in the pool match, and only a few months prior to that, it beat Pakistan 4-0 at the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai.
At the Hero Asia Cup in Jakarta 2022, a relatively young Indian side held Pakistan to a 1-1 draw while at the Asian Champions Trophy in Dhaka 2021, India beat Pakistan 4-3 to win the bronze medal.
Harmanpreet Singh believes the stats slate will be wiped clean before they take on Pakistan. “Past results will not matter when we take on a team like Pakistan. They are a tough side and have the potential to bounce back at any stage in the game. We will look forward to a good match tomorrow.”
In other matches of the day, Malaysia will take on Korea while hosts China will play Japan.
